Who Are You?:
The Orielles

01 Jul 2016

The first sight of The Orielles is crammed into the back of a Ford galaxy people carrier, the “tour van” that’s taken them up and down Britian in search of crowds, pubs and good vibes. Sid, the oldest member, is at the wheel, a white-knuckled ball of efficiency, while bassist Esme (Sid’s younger sister) and guitarist Henry, are crammed in the back next to drums, amps, and overflowing sacks of “gear”. All decked out in baggy tops, highwaisted jeans and well-worn rubber soled sneakers, they look like they’ve escaped from a Wes Anderson short.

Unpacked from the ride, they’re a tight little group, huddling and scheming in a pack, eyes glued to the road, back and forth between the smoking area and a corner table. They’ve built their reputation on the back of loose and happy bedroom-pop jams, referencing stoner-flicks and pizza with the ease of kids whose experience is built around stoner-flicks and pizza, so it’s not a surprise that in person they’re happy to keep to their own little unit.

When they eventually traipse on stage, all goofy grins and dumb jokes, they’re a different beast. Savage psych-outs, vicious solos and stop-start playing mark them out as a “live” band from the off. Henry’s riffs have the whipped precision of a really serious player while drummer Sid, the powerhouse behind the group’s sound, clips out beats with a fury that belies her slight frame. They’re most impressive when they cut back on the bounce and fire off a few vicious left hooks, closing out sets with a wave of swagger and squall – startling if your only experience of the band is through their surf-pop singles.

For a band who’ve only been on the scene for a few short years, they’ve built an impressive list of supporters. Following a show in Brighton, the trio headed to The Magic Gang’s pad, reconvening the next day with cigarettes rolled through shaky fingers and bug-eyed stories. Out on the road for the first time, they’re seem happy to soak up the experience, unjaded and eager to cut loose when the oppurtunity arises.

Formed a few years ago, the band are on a heady trajectory. They’ve played a string of festivals, been flown out to Canada for music week and performed on an all-star bill with Swim Deep at the Flying Vinyl day fest. Their records are dropping via cult label Art Is Hard, their tracks are getting spins on Radio 6 and they’re an increasingly meancing live presence.

The Orielles are straight-up-and-down, everything laid on the table at it’s soft-focus finest; as comfortable posing up a storm on facebook as they are tearing through a set. Without a “tastemaker” magazine pushing them though the hoops,The Orielles seem happy building their own platform. With a summer packed with shows, more music to come and hype piling on their young shoulders, we caught up with the band to talk through the next few months:

Can you tell us how you came together and tell us about the music that you make?

We’ve known each other for years now and just came together through the love of the same music to form a band. It wasn’t a serious thing at the time but as it progressed we realised we loved making music together and wanted to take it more seriously. It’s pretty difficult to pinpoint on genre onto our sound but we’d like to think we’re a blend of surf-garage-pop.

You’re a band on many peoples lips which means theres been a lot of words written. if you could dispel one comparison made about your music what would it be?

I think just because we have a female vocalist, it’s very easy for reviewers to compare our sound to other bands with female vocalists, which is kind of a cop-out, especially when our general sound may be totally dissimilar. Of course some of the comparisons are credible but thats not always the case. One of the funniest comparisons we’ve had is the Spice Girls but we took it as a compliment haha!

You’ve recently released music via Art is Hard records and had artwork curated by So Young favourite, Alex Jenkins. Tell us about how those relationships started?

Art is Hard is a label we have followed for a while and they have released some great stuff and so it was really cool to be asked onboard! Alex is also such a wicked artist, we came across his work on instagram and the Art is Hard guys thought it would be cool to include a zine with the release, we knew straight away that Alex’s work would fit our vibe really well.

Is there one song or one album that unites you as a band? One that inspires your direction mutually?

The first album we all talked about together and enjoy listening to together is Pixies – Doolittle and certainly at the start this influenced our sound quite significantly. We liked the way they work with dynamics and how a song can go from being so loud and full to almost nothing, they use space really well and this definitely influenced us.

Tell us the story behind the song ‘Jobin’?

We wrote Jobin last summer whilst hanging out by the river beside our practice room. We went for a swim and had a laugh and I guess the whole feel of the day helped to influence the fun and summery vibe of the song. The title is also named after a quote from one of our favourite actors, Paul Rudd.

What can we be excited for in 2016?

Our priority is getting new music released as we’ve been writing like crazy at the moment and meeting a lot of exciting people. Also we’re planning another tour for the end of the year so we look forward to visiting lots of new places and meeting lots of new people!

The Orielles – Jobin is out now on Art Is Hard Records and you can buy it here.